The Fallas in Valencia: the Beauty of Fire

mait ravelsit e.co m
http://www.maitravelsite.com/world-destinations/europe/the-fallas-in-valencia-the-beauty-of-fire/
The Fallas in Valencia: the Beauty of Fire
The Fallas in Valencia are a traditional holiday that has become a unique
celebration in the world. Declared of interest to humanity by UNESCO they
have become extremely popular among tourists who f lock here during the
month of March on time to welcome the pleasant spring weather and
participate this extraordinary f iesta not that will not go unnoticed, rivaling
or probably surpassing the f amous “Tomatina” held in the nearby town of
Buñol.
What
are
Fallas?
Pho to @ Flickr b y Jo e Calho un
Designed and created by renowned artists, painters, sculptors and architects, these craf tsmen spend
months designing and constructing Las Fallas- no easy f eat, as they can soar up to 30 meters tall!
Masterf ully-created, the colorf ul Fallas – made of papier maché and wood – depict well-known
celebrities, politicians and current events of the past year in a f amously satirical manner.
The constructors are given exactly one night to f ully erect their masterpieces. By daybreak on March
16th, Valencia’s public squares and open spaces suddenly become exhibition areas f or these incredible
pieces of artwork. Three days later – at midnight on the Feast Day of San José – the city quite literally
lights up.
The f igures, which represents a whole year’s work f or hundreds of people, are burnt on the night of 19
March in towering f lames, and each bonf ire is a temple devoted to this colossal f estival of f ire. The
craf ty individuals behind each of the hundreds of Fallas in Valencia watch as – to the deaf ening cheers
of thousands – the f ruits of their talents and labors burst into f lames and eventually meet their end as
piles of discarded ash are blown by gentle breezes and put of f by nearby f iremen.

The
History of Fallas
Ad miring the Fallas a fe w ho urs b e fo re b e ing b urne d
The origins of the f estival are rather humble but not yet clear as there is hardly any documentary
evidence. The most widely accepted of the three main theories is that the origin of the Fallas could have
happened at the time of the medieval guilds as the f irst written testimonies of the Valencian Fallas date
f rom the middle of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th.. On the night of St. Joseph the
carpenters’ guild used to light a bonf ire in honour of the saint. In it they burnt the standing pole on which
they had kept their lamp during the winter – the estai – and the sweepings f rom the workshop. Which the
passage of time, however, matting and various old pieces of junk were added. The custom of burning an

ef f igy in the blaze is somewhat subsequent. The f euds between the dif f erent workshops provoked the
creation of grotesque f igures which represented rivals, f or the purpose of making everyone laugh at
them. These ef f igies were thrown onto the f ire together with the old pieces of junk. in the Middle Ages
the artisans took out their broken artif acts and pieces of wood, burning them to celebrate the spring
equinox.
Food
During Fallas
The intricate e ffig ie s are a true p ie ce o f art.
While all the f ood popular during Fallas can be f ound at any time of the year, it is true that it is easier to
f ind and certainly more appreciated during this month. As much of the city becomes pedestrian only f ood

stalls pop out out of every corner and the time to indulge in otherwise not-so healthy delicacies begins.
Of all the delicious f oods to be f ound there are three that stand out above the rest: churros, buñuelos
and of course, paella. Churros are a long stick of deep f ried dough covered with sugar, and sometimes
with chocolate or f illed by jelly, chocolate cream and similar. Buñuelos are somewhat similar in the making
but lack that stick shape, and paella the mother of all Valencian dishes is primarily a f abulously f lavorf ul
rice dish, with all manner of “tropezones”, tasty bits and pieces of meats, f ish, f ruits, nuts, and
vegetables.
The Mascletá
A mascleta is an audio f irework display that takes place throughout the Fallas f estival in Valencia. Unlike
the nightly f irework shows that are all about color and visual splendor, the mascletás make up f or with

their sonic impact. Hundreds of little and not so little explosions are caref ully choreographed to provide
the most phonically experience you could possibly be subjected to in Spain. Each small barrio usually has
one of its own at around noon, but to witness the largest and loudest of them all make your way to the
Plza del Ayuntamiento (City Hall Square) any of the f irst 19 days of March.
The Fiesta
The Fallas in Valencia are divided into seven important stages: the nomination and proclamation of the
Queens of the Fallas f or the year, the Exaltation, the Crida, the Cavalcade of the Ninot the Of f ering of
Flowers, the Planta and the Crema.
The Exaltation is, with the Of f ering of Flowers, one of the most colorf ul moments of the Fallas. In this
ceremony, the city’s citizens and the various institutions pay homage to the Falla Queens who receive
their sashes and jewels of of f ice in the Palau de la Musica. As the Attendant Courts of the Falla Queen
and the Falla Princess go up to the stage, the place begins to be f illed with baskets of f lowers donated
by Valencian and a f ew Spanish collectives. One of the most important f igures at the Exaltation is the
chairman, who represents the world of culture and makes a speech to all those present which can be of
a justif icatory or political nature- or sometimes just poetic.
The Offering of Flowers to Our Lady of the Forsaken in the ceremony f or which Valencia is entirely
dressed in its best and renders homage at the f eet of her patron saint, of f ering thousands of bouquets
of f lowers, baskets of posies and f loral shrine arrangements. During the twenty-f our hours during which
the Of f ering lasts, the Virgin, f ondly ref erred to by the Valencians as “Geperudeta”, receives her tribute.
On this day, the sobriquet of Valencia, city of f lowers becomes reality, and the Basilica square becomes
a beautif ul and colorf ul garden, with more than thirty tons of f lowers decorating just one of the principal
squares of the city.
The

The
Falla b urning in Vale ncia
“Planta” is the ceremony everyone awaits with impatience. On March 15 the papier-mâché ef f igies are
assembled, not without a considerable struggle, in the squares and streets of Valencia. Hundreds of
these Fallas invade the city, as many as there are houses to make them. The ef f igies and ninots
(representations of public f igures) are admired by both the Valencians and the tourists. The Fallas show
of f their lively colours and enormous size, and make clear which personalities have been the f ocus of
public opinion and attention- there are f ew Spanish politicians who escape f rom the satire of the
“f allero” masters!
The Crema is the culmination of the Fallas. For some it is the saddest moment, while f or others it is the
highest point of the f estival. At around midnight, On the night of the f east of St. Joseph, 19th March, the
Fallas are lit. The last ef f igies to be devoured by the f lames are those Fallas that have been awarded
prizes by the Genral Fallas Committee and those in the City Hall square. Only one “Ninot” is saved each

year f rom the f lames by popular vote, and exhibited in the Museum of the Ninot together with those f rom
various years which won the same privilege.
As the city goes up in f lames hundreds of thousands of people cheer, hug, and some even cry as they
watch the Fallas f all and burn. The months of work together with the long partying nights are over, and
the most important f estival of the city comes to an end. But all is not lost, as the countdown begins in
Valencia f or the Fallas of the f ollowing year!
Resources
Museum of Falleros Artisans (with the Ninots): http://www.gremiodeartistasf alleros.com/museo.html
The city of Valencia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia
Tourism board of Valencia http://www.turisvalencia.es/home.aspx?elemento=Home